


The Fall of Leo Valdez

by CricketCat



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adorable Leo Valdez, Angst Leo Valdez, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexual Leo Valdez, Book 3: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus), Book 4: The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Leo Valdez, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Leo Valdez, Leo Valdez Centric, Leo Valdez Needs a Hug, Leo Valdez hurt, Leo Valdez in Tartarus, Leo Valdez in Tartarus AU, Like very minor you might not even see it, M/M, Minor Jason Grace/Piper McLean/Leo Valdez, Multi, No Beta, Post Tartarus Leo Valdez, Protective Annabeth Chase, Protective Hazel Levesque, Protective Jason Grace, Protective Percy Jackson, Protective Piper McLean, Sad Leo Valdez, Slow Updates, Tartarus Leo Valdez, The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus) Spoilers, The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus) Spoilers, The Seven, The Seven Rescue Leo, The Seven Rescue Leo Valdez, The Seven must rescue Leo, The Seven save Leo, You Have Been Warned, You'd have to squint, if percy and annabeth never fell into tartarus, leo centric, leo valdez angst, leo valdez whump, protective frank zhang, very angsty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28515867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CricketCat/pseuds/CricketCat
Summary: Leo saves Percy and Annabeth.But he falls to Tartarus in their place.Can the Seven rescue him and close the Doors of Death?
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Leo Valdez, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque & Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace & Leo Valdez, Jason Grace & Piper McLean & Leo Valdez, Jason Grace/Leo Valdez, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Leo Valdez & Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez & The Seven, Minor Jason Grace/Piper McLean/Leo Valdez - Relationship, Percy Jackson & Leo Valdez, Piper McLean & Leo Valdez, Piper McLean/Leo Valdez
Comments: 66
Kudos: 170





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love me some Leo whump. This is basically an excuse. Sorry not sorry...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some canon related notes - I have changed when Leo meets Calypso. He gets sent to her originally in House of Hades but in this story I've changed it so he got sent to her in Mark Of Athena so please no comments about how it isn't canon because I am aware that it isn't. Ya know, creative license and all. Anyway, enjoy!

Annabeth and Percy were barely holding on.

Leo was clinging to the Athena Pathenos' head when he heard Percy cry out. He glanced over his shoulder, only to check if his friends were okay, only to realise that Annabeth and Percy were both dangling over the pit, holding on for their lives. Nico and Hazel were reaching over, trying to grab them but they were too far away. They'd never reach them before they fell. Leo felt sick. Nemesis' promise echoed in his head over and over. This was her price, he realised. To send Percy and Annabeth over the edge and into the darkest pit in the Underworld. Leo didn't know much about Tartarus, but he knew it wasn't a place anyone would want to end up in. If his friends fell, he didn't think they'd ever come back up again.

Leo would not let that happen.

He slid down the statue, his ankles jarring as he landed roughly on the stone floor. Annabeth and Percy were only twenty metres away but Leo knew they wouldn't last long. He sprinted towards them, his hands flying into his tool belt and praying for something he could use. Around him, the cave was starting to tremble as the power of Tartarus grew stronger. Leo could feel the air becoming suffocating with dust and ash. He had to hurry. As he skidded to a stop by the edge of the pit, his hand grabbed hold of something in the largest pocket of the belt. He pulled it out to find a short bungy cord and a carabiner lying in his palm.

That could work.

"Nico!" Leo cried, tossing him one end of the cord before tying the other end to the largest boulder he could find. "Clip me on!"

"What?!" Nico and Hazel exclaimed at the same time, clearly incredulous. Leo groaned in frustration, grabbing Nico's hand which held the carabiner. 

"Clip me on!" he yelled. Nico seemed to get the message but he swiftly hooked the caribiner through the belt loop of Leo's trousers, securely tying him to the bungy cord. Leo then ran to the edge, glancing back at the two children of Hades who stared at him in shock. "Get ready to grab them!" 

Then he jumped off the edge.

The bungy cord pulled taunt and Leo slammed into the side of the chasm. He groaned but gritted his teeth, pushing himself up so his feet were planted firmly against the wall. Below him, Percy was hanging onto a narrow shelf of rock with one hand while clutching onto Annabeth for dear life with the other. His eyes widened as he saw Leo, sweat pouring down his face.

"Percy!" Leo cried. He stretched out his hand, reaching for his friend to try and grab him. "Give me your hand!"

"Annabeth first!" Percy shouted, his face turning more red by the second.

"No!" Annabeth yelled. "Percy you have to drop me! We're not all going to get out of this alive! You have to let me go!"

"I'm not letting you go!" Percy screamed. "We're gonna get out of here and we're gonna do it together!" Then he started pulling, slowly drawing Annabeth up with one hand and brute strength. It reminded Leo of stories he'd heard where mothers had lifted cars off their children using pure adrenaline. That's when Leo knew that if Percy Jackson wanted something, he damn well was going to get it. Percy's veins were popping in his neck and forehead and he hauled Annabeth up.

"Reach, Annie!" Leo shouted, holding out one hand while holding onto the rope with the other. "Come on, you can do it!" Annabeth reached up her hand, her fingertips brushing Leo's before he grabbed hold of her wrist. Using the last of his strength, Percy boosted her up enough for Leo to catch her, swinging so she could get a good grip of the rock in the chasm wall. He pushed her up just high enough for Hazel and Nico to grab her arms and pull her up the rest of the way, successfully drawing Annabeth out of the chasm. Leo almost sighed with relief but his task wasn't done yet.

One down. One to go.

"Your turn, Aquaman!" He shouted to Percy, reaching out his hand again. "Come on, you've got this!" But Percy looked tired, exhausted even. Gods know he had been holding up Annabeth for far to long. He was still clinging on, just with a few fingers on the ledge, but was rapidly losing his grip. His face was pale and clammy, almost ashen as he looked up at Leo with defeated green eyes.

"You've got to go, Leo," he said. "You've got to leave before it drags you in too." Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Percy Jackson could not be giving up. Never in his life did Leo think he'd see this day. But then he realised. Percy wasn't giving up. In fact, he was far from it. Percy was trying to save him. 

"Nuh uh, not on your life, Jackson!" Leo shouted. He pushed himself off the wall, tipping his head down and his feet up and snatching Percy's wrist just as the other boy slipped off the ledge. Percy dangled in his grip, kicking his legs as the chasm threatened to suck them both in. Drawing all his strength, Leo prayed to every god in existence that this would work and yanked Percy upwards, wrapping an arm around his shoulders while Percy hugged his waist. 

"You gotta climb up the rope, Perce!" Leo yelled. "Come on, Waterboy, you can do it!" He pushed Percy up, letting him climb over his body to the rope. Percy's hands managed to find it and he started pulling himself up, shimmying up the rope like a pirate. Leo almost wanted to laugh at the son of the sea god acting like a pirate. He would have done too but his eyes zeroed in on a terrifying sight. 

The rope was fraying. It was resting on the edge of the chasm, bearing the weight of two demigods and practically being sawed by the sharp rock. Percy must have noticed it too because he stopped climbing, staring down at Leo in horror. In that moment, Leo knew what he had to do. If he couldn't stop Nemesis' price from happening, then he pay it himself. His friends were the most precious thing in the world to him and, even though they sometimes didn't appreciate him, even though they sometimes ignored him, by Hades he was going to save the one good thing he had. Besides, he knew Nico was right. If they were going to have a chance in this war, someone had to sacrifice themselves. Someone had to plunge into the depths of hell to get the job done. 

Percy must have seen in his eyes what he was about to do because his face drained of all blood. "Don't you dare, Valdez!" He yelled, eyes wide with fear. "Don't you fucking dare!"

"It can't hold us both!" Leo said.

"It can, Leo!" Percy cried. "It will! We'll pull you up!" Leo shook his head as the rope frayed even more. Above, he could see Nico, Annabeth and Hazel desperately reaching to grab Percy and hold onto the rope at the same time. But Leo knew they wouldn't have the strength to keep them both up if the rope did snap. They would get pulled in too and Leo would not have that.

"I'll meet you there, Jackson!" Leo shouted up. "The Doors of Death. I'll close them!"

"No, Leo!" He heard Hazel cry out. "It'll kill you!"

"Someone has to try!" Leo said. He returned his gaze to Percy who was now trying to reach down for him. But his strength was spent and he was barely holding himself up.

"Don't do this, Leo!" He panted. "Please don't!" Leo smiled sadly.

"Promise me one thing, Aquaman," he said softly. "If I don't make it back, free Calypso for me. Please. I swore I would."

"We're gonna get you up and you can do that yourself!" Percy yelled. "Please, Leo!" Leo glanced up one last time, meeting Nico's eyes who only stared at him with sadness but understanding. He nodded once and Leo knew he'd get the Seven there. The rope was snapping, only two strands left to keep Percy from falling. Leo knew he had to do it now. As scared as he was, he was more scared of his friends getting hurt. He looked up at Percy who was still desperately trying to reach him.

"I'll meet you there!" Leo whispered, so quietly that only Percy could hear him. "I promise."

"LEO! NO!"

In one swift move, he reached round to the caribiner and unhooked it. He managed to catch Percy's eyes one last time before his heart lurched into his throat and his stomach dropped.

And then he fell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper is determined to rescue Leo, but she'll need everyone's help...

Piper didn't think she'd ever been more relieved when she saw Percy and Annabeth haul themselves up over the side of the Argo II, closely followed by Nico and Hazel. All four collapsed onto the deck, breathing ragged and uneven. Rushing forwards, Piper fell to her knees by Annabeth first, a hand on her shoulder as her friend coughed and spluttered. "Annie! Annie, are you okay?" Annabeth didn't answer, too shocked and exhausted to even form words. Piper bit her lip, glancing up at Jason who moved forwards to check the others who were in much the same state at Annabeth. Nico was curled up on his side, heaving in oxygen like a man starved. Percy sad physically trembling, his hands cut up and welling blood. Frank rushed to Hazel's side, holding her in his arms and talking to her softly. Piper's heart clenched at the heartbroken look on Hazel's face. Something had gone wrong.

"What happened?" Jason asked, crouching by Percy's side and handing out ambrosia squares. "Is everyone alright?"

"The place collapsed," Percy coughed. "As soon as we got the statue, the whole thing just caved in." Piper looked up in alarm.

"Where's Leo?" she demanded. No one answered her, Nico and Hazel even refusing to meet her eyes. "Where is he?!" she yelled. Leo had been down there to hook up the Athena Parthenos to the cables he'd lowered from the Argo II. He should be here now. She rose to her feet, staring down at everyone with her fists clench. "Somebody better tell me right now where Leo is or I swear I'll charmspeak you all to walk off a cliff."

"Piper-" Percy whispered, his eyes distraught. "Leo...he-he fell."

"Fell?" Jason repeated, his voice soft and scared. "Fell where?! You mean he's still down there?!" But Piper understood. She saw the look on all their faces. That chasm led to one place and one place only. Her throat closed up. Tears sprang to her eyes. And, for the first time since her Grandpa Tom died, she felt the sharp slash of loss in her life.

"Tartarus," she breathed. "He fell to Tartarus."

Jason was on his feet instantly, running towards the edge of the ship probably to jump off and go searching for Leo but Nico grabbed hold of him.

"Jason, you can't save him!" He said, every word straining with effort. "He's gone!"

"Let go of me!" Jason growled. "He could still be down there! I can get to him! I can still save him!" 

"Leo wouldn't want that!" Nico shouted. "Don't get yourself killed for him because you know Leo would blame himself!" 

"Get off me!" Jason yelled, trying to rip free. But Nico held strong. He looked pained to do so but he kept his grip of Jason, stopping him from doing something stupid and jumping into Tartarus after Leo. Slowly, Piper stumbled forwards and wrapped her arms around Jason, her hand burying itself in the hair at the nape of his neck and drawing his head down to her shoulder. Jason's frame began shaking with sobs and it took everything in Piper not to break down right then and there. 

Leo. They had lost Leo. It was almost as if Piper's heart was being ripped in two. It was like the further Leo fell, the further he went away from them, the more her heart was torn. Leo. They're best friend. The friend who always was there, who was always a shoulder to cry on or someone who listened, who tried to fix every problem because he could never leave anyone broken. Leo who had suffered too much cruelty in this world already. She felt her stomach clench and her brain throb, a sickness rising in her at the thought of being even a minute without him.

"I'm sorry," Percy said, struggling up and staggering his way forward to Piper and Jason. "It was my fault. It should have been me. Leo saved us, Annabeth and I. If it wasn't for him, we would have fallen too." He suddenly let out a howl of frustration, screaming in anger. "I should have done something! I should have grabbed him while I still had the chance!" Annabeth made a pained noise, rising to her feet and grabbing Percy's hands.

"You did everything you could, Percy," she whispered softly. "There was nothing you could have done..." But the look of anguish on Percy's face didn't leave and Piper felt her heart break a little more. She turned to Nico, her eyes pleading.

"Is he still alive?" she begged. "Please, just tell me he's still alive..." Nico's face twisted in confliction but he nevertheless closed his eyes and spread his hands, palms facing the floor. The crew all waited with baited breath, no one daring to move just in case Nico lost concentration and they lost their last connection with Leo. Finally, Nico opened his eyes, looking harrowed.

"He's still alive," he said. "But he's in Tartarus. I'm...I'm not sure he'll last long there. I'm sorry, that's all I can tell." Swallowing hard, Piper turned to the rest of the Seven.

"There has to be a way to rescue him," she said, trying to be confident despite the obvious wobble in her voice. "There has to be." She was desperate, clinging to the hope that there was an answer to this.

"The Doors of Death," Jason said quietly, raising his face from Piper's shoulder. His eyes were puffy and red but as hard as steel. "That's where we go next. If Gaia's armies can travel through the Doors, then maybe Leo can too. He could get out."

"It's impossible," Nico said, shaking his head. When Hazel and Frank shot him a glare he raised his hands in surrender. "Look, I don't want to be the bad guy here but think about it. Leo would have to travel across Tartarus with no food, no water and no weapons, not to mention he'd be completely alone. He'd have to walk all the way to the Doors with getting killed in a place where everything will try to kill him. Tartarus is practically poison to everything but monsters. Even the air he breathes will be trying to kill him. And, if he miraculously manages to survive all that, he'd have to make it to the Doors, cut the chains and hold them shut on his own for Hades knows how long and hope and pray that we'd be there to meet him on the other side to close the doors in the mortal world after him. That kind of timing just won't happen." Everyone was silent, staring at Nico with a mixture of anger and heartbreak. Nico sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't want to say it, but we have to be realistic here. There's no way he'd survive all that with only a tool belt and a few bad jokes."

"But he will," Jason croaked. "He's Leo Valdez. There's nothing he can't do." Piper couldn't help but agree. She'd seen Leo perform literal miracles to get them out of all kinds of situations before. He could build anything, fix anything, survive anything. If there was anyone who could joke and build and fight their way through Tartarus, it was Leo. 

"I promised that we'd meet him there," Percy murmured suddenly. "I swore to him that we'd get there and meet him. I won't break that promise." His face was red and splotchy. Piper found it odd that Percy cared so much. He'd never shown much interest in Leo before besides the odd bro moment or prank they pulled together. Other than that, Piper wasn't even sure they classified as friends, especially after the New Rome incident. But Percy, and Annabeth for that matter, both seemed a wretched as the rest of them. 

"He won't make it," Nico said severely. "And we can't keep the Doors open any longer than necessary."

"He will make it," Frank bit back. "And we keep the Doors open for as long as possible to save him." Piper nodded, glaring at Nico. She knew he was only trying to be realistic. And, if she was completely honest with herself, there was a small voice in the darkest corner of her mind that told her what Leo was trying to do was impossible, that she should grieve now because she would never see him again. She drowned out that voice with everything she had. Leo was strong, Leo had been through a different type of hell many times before, Leo would escape just like he always did. She just had to have faith. 

"So we go to the Doors of Death," she said. "We fight our way through and we rescue Leo. If he's not there, I'm going in myself to get him."

"I'll go with you," Jason said immediately.

"We all will," Percy replied, looking around at the others as if they'd dare defy him. 

"And once we rescue him, we close the Doors and cut the chains," Piper continued. "Then, to Athens." Every nodded and Piper could sense the atmosphere had changed from one of despair to one of determination. She squeezed Jason's hand tightly, drawing reassurance from him.

"It's as good a plan as any," Frank said. "We've come this far." Piper stared around at the circle of demigods she was proud to call friends. They could do it. They were the most powerful demigods of the generation. Her eyes fell on Nico who was carefully avoiding everyone's gaze.

"Nico," she said softly. "We can't do this without you. Please, will you help us?" Nico looked up at her with his dark eyes. She couldn't read what he was thinking but she hoped that he wouldn't leave them.

"I'll help," he said. "Of course I will." She smiled gratefully at him. 

"I hate to burst everyone's bubble," Frank said. "But does anyone know how to fly this thing?" That stopped Piper completely in her tracks. No, was the answer. No one apart from Leo knew how to fly the Argo, or sail it for that matter. Percy may have some idea with the sailing part but even he looked lost as he stared over at the Argo's control panel. 

"I can do it," Annabeth said, stepping forward. "Leo taught me a few basic things, I can learn the rest."

"We'll all help," Hazel nodded at her. "We can all learn just in case." Piper opened her mouth to agree but suddenly a roar split the air. The entire Argo jolted forwards, knocking Piper off her feet. The others scrabbled for their weapons, sure they were being attacked but Piper would know that roar from anywhere.

"Festus!" she cried, running over to the control board and leaning over the edge so she could get a good look at the dragon's head. "Good boy, Festus! Good boy!" The control panel had come to life as Festus took over, pulling the ship forwards with every bit of electronic strength he had. Piper took it as a sign.

Festus wanted his friend back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Falling was not Leo's style. Neither were rivers. But fire he could work with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right disclaimer, I have no idea if duct taping fire blankets together and using it as a parachute would work. My reasoning is that Leo is the son of Hephaestus so ya know his magic building powers and brain? Yep that's my reasoning so yeah don't trying making a parachute out of blankets and tape. I mean, not sure why you would but thought I should just mention it. Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> My tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/themarauderssnapmap

Leo had been falling for days.

Well, at least it seemed that way. It could have been days, but it could have been only hours, even minutes. In reality, he didn't know. All he knew was he'd been falling for a very, _very_ long time. The wind ripped and tore at his clothes, snatching at his army jacket and pulling at his shirt. The sound of the air roared in his ears, drowning out even Leo's hammering heartbeat. He'd never wished more for Jason's air powers or Nico's shadow travel abilities. In that moment, he would even have settled for Annabeth's smarts because at least she would have thought of something. But all he had was a tool belt that couldn't even give him a parachute and fire powers that Leo was much too scared to use, even if they did somehow get him out of this situation. 

Not for the first time, Leo felt a stab of fear in his heart. His brain still hadn't caught up with the fact that he was quite literally falling to hell. Part of him almost found it ironic. Aunt Rosa had always said he was a _diablo_ , that hell was where he belonged. He may have been only eight at the time, but Tia Rosa's words had seared into Leo's brain and were as fresh as the day she'd first said them. Leo couldn't help but think maybe his aunt was right. Perhaps falling to Tartarus was his punishment for killing his mother. 

_No_ , he thought to himself, pushing the thought of his mother from his mind. Leo's punishment for his mother's death was yet to come, he knew that. This was Nemesis' fault. If Leo hadn't been stupid enough to open that fortune cookie, then he'd still be up at the surface rather than falling to his death in the depths of hell. 

_But then Percy and Annabeth would've fallen_ , he brain argued back. _You saved them._ Leo knew he was right there. He promised himself at the start of all this that the only person who needed sacrificing was him and him alone. If anyone was going to die, it would be Leo because by the gods he was not going to let any of his friends go. 

Now he just had to get back to them.

Filled with new determination, Leo's hands flew to his tool belt and he started grabbing everything he could to try and figure out a way out of this. He knew that he should probably try and think more clearly but in his panic the tool belt just threw out random items, sending them flying up above him. Then the idea struck him. If he didn't have a parachute, then he was just going to have to make one. Easier said then done when falling to your death but it was the best Leo had. 

Closing his eyes, he tried to calm his mind. What did every workshop have in case of emergencies? A fire blanket. Reaching into the largest pocket of the belt, Leo stretched out his fingers into the ether and willed a fire blanket to come to him. His fingers brushed something soft and he almost cried with relief, yanking the blanket up and out. It was almost ripped from his hands at the speed he was falling at but he managed to hold onto it, clutching it between his knees tightly. Next, he dug back into his belt and begged yet again for another blanket and, Gods please, some duct tape. The belt did what he commanded and Leo grabbed the two items. Now for the tricky part. Hugging both blankets, he began frantically duct taping them together with huge strips. Every time he finished one, he went back into his tool belt and grabbed another blanket, taping that one to the originals. 

Leo was so absorbed in his work, he hadn't noticed that the tunnel he was falling in had opened up into a massive cavern that must have been miles long. The light turned red and hellish and Leo looked down to realise that ground was rapidly approaching. Yelping, he threw away the duct tape and grabbed hold of the ends of his makeshift parachute, flaring it up and praying to the gods that this would work. The canopy flew out and Leo was suddenly yanked upwards, the drag slowing his fall enough that he wouldn't be smashed into a Leo pancake on impact.

He whooped aloud, laughing in pure hysteria. "Yes!" He cried out. "Fuck you Tartarus! You ain't killing me yet!" 

It probably wasn't the best idea Leo had ever had to insult the most dangerous primordial next to Gaia.

His celebrations were very short lived. A ripping sound above him made him whip his head up to see his makeshift parachute of fire blankets was coming apart as the duct tape gave way. He was still many metres up from the ground where he could now see a black river below. Gripping onto the blankets with everything he had, Leo couldn't help but scream as he started falling faster, the air whistling past his ears as he plummeted towards the water. 

Closing his eyes, Leo sent up another quick prayer to the gods, not even know if the gods could even hear him in Tartarus. The black water rose up to meet him and Leo held his breath-

BOOM!

It wasn't the impact that shock him but the cold. Leo was a fire user, his domain was heat and warmth. But dropping into the river was like dropping into a swimming pool full of ice. The freezing water made his muscles clench and seize up and suddenly, Leo couldn't move. He couldn't move or swim or breathe as the inky water took control.

Pointless, it whispered in his ear. Pointless to escape. Only more misery awaits. Just give up. Sink to the bottom where all your pain will end.

Leo was so close to agreeing. It would have been so easy. He really had no chance of getting out of Tartarus anyway. Why put himself through all that pain? What was waiting for him? Hoards upon hoards of monsters, Gaia planning a demigod sacrifice, a war between the Greeks and Romans, and friends who barely even noticed he was there. They wouldn't miss him when he was gone.

_Wait._

Piper would miss him. Jason would miss him. If no one else, he knew they would be devastated if Leo let himself die here. So he fought. He fought with everything he had, kicking and clawing at the water until he burst to the surface. The water's whispers became louder, trying to drag him back down again but Leo shouted back. Piper and Jason needed him. He kept their faces in his mind as he swam to the shore, reminding himself every time he wanted to give up that Jason and Piper were relying on him to make it back. Who else was going to tease them with silly nicknames? Who else was going to cheer them up with stupid jokes when they were sad? Who else would be a shoulder to cry on, a friend who listened when they needed that? 

His hand hit the black sand on the beach and Leo dragged himself out, crawling as far as he could from the river until he collapsed on his back. He sucked in deep breaths, barely noticing the slight burn of the poisonous air or the sting in his hands where the sand had cut into him. That didn't matter right now. Leo was just grateful to be alive so far. 

After catching his breath and coughing up as much of the awful black water as he could, Leo slowly sat up and looked around him.

Tartarus wasn't at all what he thought it was going to be...not that he'd given it much thought if he was honest with himself. The black river, the river Cocytus, Leo remembered, cut across the land through sand that was as sharp as glass. Over his shoulder behind him, red cliffs rose up and dropped as the land moved. The sky was orange like fire which didn't comfort Leo at all. And, the worst thing, it was cold. Not the like the freezing of the river but cold enough that Leo knew he was going to suffer. Fire users didn't do well in the cold, let alone in Tartarus kind of cold. Yep, this was hell alright. 

Pushing himself to his feet, Leo clutched his chest as the air suddenly became more difficult to breathe. Ah, the poisonous air. He'd forgotten about that little party trick. Staggering forwards, Leo began to walk, not knowing quite what else to do. At the back of his mind, he knew that he was right to keep moving. If monsters were good at tracking down demigods in the mortal world, they sure as Hades were going to find him quickly in their own domain. Every step Leo took made his bones ache, his muscles cramp, his head scream out. It was like he was still underwater. He wrapped his army jacket around himself closer, shivering and attempting to heat himself up just a tiny bit to at least dry off his clothes. But the more he tried, the tireder he became. It was almost as if Tartarus itself was draining all of Leo's energy. He couldn't say he was surprised and made a mental note to himself to only use fire powers when absolutely necessary. 

Leo stumbled all the way to the edge of a cliff and almost fell off the edge as he swayed. Below was a huge canyon, about five hundred foot drop from where Leo was standing to the ground. Although his vision was starting to become hazy, the canyon seemed lighter than the rest of Tartarus somehow. He rubbed his eyes, blinking and staring down the cliff face. At the bottom of the canyon, carving through the land, was a literal river of fire. 

He knew that river. Annabeth must have told him something about it before...or maybe it was Nico? He couldn't remember where he'd heard it, but he knew that river. The Phlegethon. That was its name. What did the Phlegethon do? Something about keeping the prisoners in the Fields of Punishment alive? The more he breathed, the more his mind became hazy and misty. He fought it, keeping his eyes wide and refusing to fall asleep. 

Healing! The thought struck him like a bolt of lighting. The Phlegethon could heal! Leo had no idea if it would be able to heal him, but he had to try. 

Once again, climbing down a sheer rock face with cut up hands and a half working brain was probably not Leo's brightest idea. But he'd tried summoning rope from his tool belt again but his stunt with the fire blankets must have over heated it. So cut him some slack, it had been a long day and he wasn't exactly feeling, or looking, his best. Climbing down the cliff was hands down one of the scariest things he'd ever done. Every muscle in his body trembled with exhaustion. His fingers cramped as he clutched onto every hand hold. Leo was reminded of the lava wall back at Camp and Will yelling at him that he should spend less time playing in the lava and more time actually climbing. Gods, he wished he'd listen now. 

Halfway down and Leo was glistening with sweat. It may have been cold but the poison was working fast. Leo kept his brain awake by retelling himself stories. Like the time when he and Piper had broken out of the Wilderness school, or when he and Jason had gone surfing at Camp. He remembered sitting with Annabeth and working on architecture problems together, and learning how to fight with Percy and Frank who both insisted that he be taught how to handle a blade and not just a hammer. He'd only laughed and said that a hammer was by far superior. Hazel had rolled her eyes but laughed with him. 

"Only you, Leo," she had said. "Only you." 

He thought of Calypso, her beauty, her fury when he'd broken her table. Percy had asked him if he'd fallen for her, but Leo said no. Calypso was a friend and nothing more. A good friend, maybe one of his best, but she was the one girl on this Earth that Leo could never see himself with. She was too free, too wild, had too many dreams that Leo desperately wanted her to fulfill. 

Almost there, he thought to himself. So close, almost there.

His foot touched down on the ground and he collapsed again. Crawling forwards, he practically dragged himself towards the bank of the Phlegethon. Without thinking, he thrust his hands into the fiery waters. It surprisingly was cool but that could have been because his nerves were being overloaded with heat. Even Leo's power couldn't protect him from everything. He cupped his hands, pooling the flames in his palms before sipping it. It tasted horrible, like burning rubber, and it felt even worse in his stomach, but after a few moments, Leo started to feel much better.

His vision came back into focus, the dull ache around his body subsided enough for him to be able to think clearly, his cuts and bruises started to heal. In fact, Leo thought it was the best he had felt in a while. Scooping up more fire, he drank as much as he could until his belly was full and his body felt re-energised. Well, as much as it could have been. Leo spent the next half an hour lying by the river and just breathing. Once his tool belt had cooled off, he managed to summon a canteen to fill up with fire water just in case he needed it on his journey towards the Doors of Death. Clipping it to his belt, Leo finally stood up, gazing around him and trying to think what to do next.

Which way? It wasn't like there was a brochure with a map of Tartarus. Heck, if Leo ever got out of here then he'd make one himself just to spite the place. So he started walking down river, sticking close to the fire in case he needed more or lost his way. He had been feeling rather chipper for a guy in hell when a screech interrupted his mood. 

The creature came diving at him before Leo could even yell out. His instincts kicked in and he rolled away, digging into his belt and grabbing the biggest hammer he could find. The monster came at him again, moving so fast that it blurred Black. Leo blinding swung out with his hammer, connecting with the creature with a sickening crack. With one last wail, it melted into sludge. Breathing hard, Leo tripped backwards, staring at the pile of monster dust in shock. Well, he knew one thing. Arachne was dead. Leo almost smiled. That was revenge for Annabeth and one less monster for him to deal with. One out of millions.

But he tried not to think about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel meets Hecate and learns just what she needs to do to save Leo...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a lot of this is direct from House of Hades. I've changed some parts and made it shorter for ease. Enjoy!

The mountain gods were really starting to get on Hazel's nerves. 

She was leaning over the side of the Argo, trying to spot a way through the Apennines that wouldn't mean they'd be crushed by rock throwing maniacs. As she hung over the railing, clutching on so tightly were fingers were turning white, a boulder came flying out of the mist right at her head. She just about managed to fling herself backwards and cover her head as the rock sailed over her and smashed into the mast. It topped onto the deck, throwing Nico out of the crows nest and burying him under canvas. 

"Nico!" Hazel ran forwards and helped her brother stand.

"I'm alright," he told her. "I'm fine."

"Oh Hades!" She heard Annabeth curse from the control panel where she'd strapped herself in. "That's the third mast already!" Spinning the Wii Controller, the deck beneath Hazel rumbled as a celestial bronze canon rose from below, firing at the mountain gods who stood on top of the peaks. The cannon balls smashed into them but it only seemed to make them madder. 

"It's not going to work, Annie!" she yelled out, she and Nico running towards the control panel at the helm. "They're too strong."

"I hate to say it, but you're right," Annabeth sighed. She steered the ship away from the mountains and safely further out in the sky to give them a breather. "We have to get through those mountains. There has to be a way."

"You're the ideas, girl," Nico grumbled coldly. "You figure it out." Shooting her brother a glare, Hazel turned back to Annabeth who pursed her lips together tightly. She knew what the other girl was thinking. Of course she did. It had been on her mind too. The truth was, Leo had always got them out of situations like these. It was Leo who built this ship, he had pushed himself to the limits to keep the damn thing together to even make it this far. She wouldn't give up now, and she certainly wouldn't get Leo's ship destroyed in the process.

"Maybe we should wake up the others," Nico suggested. "Whatever we decide here effects all of us. We should discuss it together." 

"They need rest," Annabeth argued back. "They took the last shift, it wouldn't be fair to wake them up now." Hazel agreed. It definitely wouldn't be fair, especially since Jason, Piper and Percy had been taking Leo's fall the hardest. Besides, ever since they lost him, the crew hadn't been able to agree on anything, always arguing about everything. It had almost been unbearable. No, waking up the others was not a good idea. 

"We just need some creative thinking, that's all," Hazel said, looking at the other two with an eyebrow raised. "Come on, surely between us we can think of something." 

"If I was on my own, I could shadow travel over," Nico said meekly. "But I couldn't for the entire ship. Gods, I'm not even sure I have the strength to transport myself anymore..."

"Okay, so no to shadow travelling," Hazel sighed. "Any other ideas?"

"Maybe we could try and camouflage the ship?" Annabeth said. "I wouldn't know how but I'm sure we could figure it out somehow..." She trailed off, looking unsure. Unsure definitely wasn't a good look on Annabeth. Hazel bit her lip, staring out at the mountainous landscape worried and thinking about what lay below it. The Underworld, land of her father, Pluto. She'd only ever met Pluto once, and hadn't even realised it at the time. Thanatos had suggested that Pluto had been doing her a favour by ignoring her, otherwise he'd be forced to return her soul to the Underworld. Which meant calling on him to help was probably a stupid idea. And yet...

Please, Dad, she found herself praying. I have to find a way to your temple in Greece – the Houseof Hades. If you're down there, show me what to do. 

Something flickered in the corner of her eye, and as Hazel turned to look she watched the beige blur race across the countryside. "Arion!" she cried. 

"What?" Nico asked, staring at the horse in shock.

"Her horse!" Annabeth excalimed. "But how-?"

The horse spiraled around the mountain until he reached the summit, rearing up and whining. "We have to meet him," Hazel said. "He's here to help."

"But Hazel, the mountain gods-" Nico started but Hazel shook her head, grabbing his arm. 

"Just get me close enough," she said. "I'll climb down the rope ladder. But he's here for a reason. I think Arion needs to tell me something." Annabeth brought the ship as close as she could to the mountain and Hazel quickly climbed down the ladder, leaping off and wrapping her hands around Arion's neck. "Awh I missed you!" she said. "Where have you been?" But Arion nickered, pushing her hand. She didn't need to speak horse to know that Arion needed to take her somewhere. She nodded, reaching down towards the ground and summoning a gold nugget which the horse ate happily. Then, she swung up onto his back, suddenly feeling a lot better again.

"Hazel? What's going on?" Nico called down from the ship.

"He needs to take me somewhere!" Hazel shouted up. 

"I hope he doesn't want to take you into that!" Annabeth pointed north. Hazel turned and tasted blood in her mouth. There, on the next hill, was a black, swirling storm, its inky finger touching down amongst some old ruins. She looked down at Arion. 

"You want to go there?" Hazel asked. He neighed, pawing his hoof along the floor as if to say yeah duh. She glanced back up to the ship. "I'll be okay," she called up. "Stay put and wait for me! I'll be back soon!"

"And what if you don't come back?" Nico said. 

"Don't worry," Hazel replied, hoping her words were true. "I will." Spurring Arion, Hazel sped straight for the tornado, the wind whipping around her violently. Soon, the storm had engulfed the entire hillside and Hazel was completely blinded by it. There was a presence to the storm, something powerful that kept pulling her and Arion forwards. Every step her horse took, the grass or stone turned white underfoot, almost like glass. It was like a cruel reminder of the crumbling cavern that had dropped Leo into Tartarus. 

Suddenly, like that awful thought at started it, the storm became still. Hanging in the air, the mist gently swirled around her. Not just normal mist. The Mist. Hazel could feel its radiating power. 

"Hello?" She called out. Her voice sounded like it was being muffled by a pillow.

"Hello," came the reply. Hazel petted Arion gently as he became skittish.

"It's okay, buddy," she told him. "We're in this together." But the moment she slid off his back, Arian bolted back into the Mist. Hazel swallowed hard.

"So much for in this together," she muttered. Steeling her nerves and with one hand on her sword, she slowly moved forwards. The Mist parted to show her the way and she found herself in the middle of a crumbling Roman courtyard. In front of her was a woman, the woman who had answered her call. Her skin pale but her face beautiful. With glittering hair, she looked like some sort of creepy princess, especially with her black eyes. She was a goddess, that was for certain.

"Who are you?" Hazel asked. "Which goddess?"

‘Ah.’ The woman nodded. ‘Let me give you some light.’ 

She raised her hands. Suddenly she was holding two old-fashioned reed torches, guttering with fire. The Mist receded to the edges of the courtyard. At the woman’s sandalled feet, the two wispy animals took on solid form. One was a black Labrador retriever. The other was a long, grey furry rodent with a white mask around its face. A weasel, maybe? 

The woman smiled serenely. "I am Hecate," she said. "Goddess of magic. We have much to discuss if you’re to live through tonight."

Hazel wanted to run, but her feet seemed to be stuck to the white-glazed ground. On either side of the crossroads, two dark metal torch-stands erupted from the dirt like plant stalks. Hecate fixed her torches in them, then walked a slow circle around Hazel, regarding her as if they were partners in some eerie dance. The black dog and the weasel followed in her wake.

"You are like your mother," Hecate decided. 

Hazel’s throat constricted. "You knew her?" 

"Of course. Marie was a fortune-teller. She dealt in charms and curses and gris-gris. I am the goddess of magic." Those pure black eyes seemed to pull at Hazel, as if trying to extract her soul.

During her first lifetime in New Orleans, Hazel had been tormented by the kids at St Agnes School because of her mother. They’d called Marie Levesque a witch. The nuns had muttered that Hazel’s mother was trading with the Devil. 

If the nuns were scared of my mom, Hazel wondered, what would they make of this goddess?

"Many fear me," Hecate said, as if reading her thoughts. "But magic is neither good nor evil. It is a   
tool, like a knife. Is a knife evil? Only if the wielder is evil."

"My-my mother …" Hazel stammered. "She didn’t believe in magic. Not really. She was just faking it, for the money."

The weasel chittered and bared its teeth. Then it made a squeaking sound from its back end. Under   
other circumstances, a weasel passing gas might have been funny, but Hazel didn’t laugh. The rodent’s red eyes glared at her balefully, like tiny coals. 

"Peace, Gale," said Hecate. She gave Hazel an apologetic shrug. "Gale does not like hearing about nonbelievers and con artists. She herself was once a witch, you see."

"Your weasel was a witch?"

"She’s a polecat, actually," Hecate said. 

"But, yes-Gale was once a disagreeable human witch. She had terrible personal hygiene, plus extreme – ah, digestive issues.’ Hecate waved her hand in front of her nose. "It gave my other followers a bad name." 

",Okay." Hazel tried not to look at the weasel. She really didn’t want to know about the rodent’s   
intestinal problems.

"At any rate," Hecate said, "I turned her into a polecat. She’s much better as a polecat." 

Hazel swallowed. She looked at the black dog, which was affectionately nuzzling the goddess’s   
hand. "And your Labrador …?"

"Oh, she’s Hecuba, the former queen of Troy," Hecate said, as if that should be obvious.

The dog grunted.

"You’re right, Hecuba," the goddess said. "We don’t have time for long introductions. The point is, Hazel Levesque, your mother may have claimed not to believe, but she had true magic. Eventually, she realized this. When she searched for a spell to summon the god Pluto, I helped her find it." 

"You …?" 

"Yes." Hecate continued circling Hazel. "I saw potential in your mother. I see even more potential in you." 

Hazel’s head spun. She wanted ask more but Hecate had clearly moved on. Holding out her hands, the goddess raised her arms and three gateways - north, east and west, swirled into existence from the Mist. 

In the western doorway, Roman and Greek demigods in full armour fought one another on a hillside under a large pine tree. The grass was strewn with the wounded and the dying. Hazel saw herself riding Arion, charging through the melee and shouting – trying to stop the violence. 

In the gateway to the east, Hazel saw the Argo II plunging through the sky above the Apennines. Its rigging was in flames. A boulder smashed into the quarterdeck. Another punched through the hull. The ship burst like a rotten pumpkin, and the engine exploded. 

The images in the northern doorway were even worse. Hazel saw Annabeth, unconscious – or dead –   
falling through the clouds. She saw Frank staggering alone down a dark tunnel, clutching his arm, his   
shirt soaked in blood. And Hazel saw herself in a vast cavern filled with strands of light like a luminous web. She was struggling to break through while, in the distance, Leo lay sprawled and unmoving at the foot of two black-and-silver metal doors. 

"Choices," said Hecate. "You stand at the crossroads, Hazel Levesque. And I am the goddess of crossroads."

Hazel looked at each swirling gateway: a demigod war, the destruction of the Argo II,   
disaster for herself and her friends. "All the choices are bad."

"All choices have risks," the goddess corrected. "But what is your goal?"

"My goal?" Hazel waved helplessly at the doorways. "None of these."

The dog Hecuba snarled. Gale the polecat skittered around the goddess’s feet, farting and gnashing   
her teeth. 

"You could go backwards," Hecate suggested, "retrace your steps to Rome … but Gaia’s forces are   
expecting that. None of you will survive." 

"So … what are you saying?" Hecate stepped to the nearest torch. She scooped a handful of fire and sculpted the flames until she was holding a miniature relief map of Italy. 

"You could go west." Hecate let her finger drift away from her fiery map. "Go back to America with your prize, the Athena Parthenos. Your comrades back home, Greek and Roman, are on the brink of war. Leave now, and you might save many lives." 

"Might," Hazel repeated. "But Gaia is supposed to wake in Greece. That’s where the giants are gathering."

"True. Gaia has set the date of August first, the Feast of Spes, goddess of hope, for her rise to power. By waking on the Day of Hope, she intends to destroy all hope forever. Even if you reached Greece by then, could you stop her? I do not know." Hecate traced her finger to the next gate. "You could go east, across the mountains, but Gaia will do anything to stop you from crossing Italy. She has raised her mountain gods against you." 

"We noticed," Hazel said. 

"Any attempt to cross the Apennines will mean the destruction of your ship. Ironically, this might be the safest option for your crew. I foresee that all of you would survive the explosion. It is possible, though unlikely, that you could still reach Epirus and close the Doors of Death. You might find Gaia and prevent her rise. But by then both demigod camps would be destroyed. You would have no home to return to." Hecate smiled. "More likely, the destruction of your ship would strand you in the mountains. It would mean the end of your quest, but it would spare you and your friends much pain and suffering in the days to come. The war with the giants would have to be won or lost without you." 

Won or lost without us. 

A small guilty part of Hazel found that appealing. She’d been wishing for the chance to be a normal girl. She didn’t want any more pain or suffering for herself and her friends. They’d already been through so much. She looked behind Hecate at the middle gateway. She saw Leo sprawled helplessly before those black-and-silver doors. A massive dark shape, vaguely humanoid, now loomed over them, its foot raised as if to crush Leo. 

"What about Leo?" Hazel asked, her voice ragged. "How do I save him?"

Hecate shrugged. "West, east or south...he dies." 

"Not an option," Hazel said.

"Then you have only one path, though it is the most dangerous."

Hecate snapped her fingers and a Mist map of the Apennies zoomed in. She pointed to a spot in the mountains and crossed her miniature Apennines, leaving a glowing white line in the red flames. 

"There is a secret pass here in the north, a place where I hold sway."

The goddess made a wide loop … to the top of Italy, then east to the sea, then down along the western coast of Greece. "Once through the pass, you would travel north to Bologna and then to Venice. From there, sail the Adriatic to your goal, here: Epirus in Greece." 

Hazel didn’t know much about geography. She had no idea what the Adriatic Sea was like. She’d never heard of Bologna, and all she knew about Venice was vague stories about canals and gondolas. But one thing was obvious. "That’s so far out of the way."

"Which is why Gaia will not expect you to take this route," Hecate said. "I can obscure your progress somewhat, but the success of your journey will depend on you, Hazel Levesque. You must learn to use the Mist."

"Me?" Hazel’s heart felt like it was tumbling down her rib cage. "Use the Mist how?"

Hecate extinguished her map of Italy. She flicked her hand at the black dog Hecuba. Mist collected around the Labrador until she was completely hidden in a cocoon of white. The fog cleared with an audible poof! Where the dog had stood was a disgruntled-looking black kitten with golden eyes. 

"Mew," it complained. 

"I am the goddess of the Mist," Hecate explained. ‘I am responsible for keeping the veil that separates the world of the gods from the world of mortals. My children learn to use the Mist to their advantage, to create illusions or influence the minds of mortals. Other demigods can do this as well. And so must you, Hazel, if you are to help your friends."

"But …" Hazel looked at the cat. She knew it was actually Hecuba, the black Labrador, but she couldn’t convince herself. The cat seemed so real. "I can’t do that."

"Your mother had the talent," Hecate said. "You have even more. As a child of Pluto who has returned from the dead, you understand the veil between worlds better than most. You can control the Mist. If you do not … well, your brother Nico has already warned you. The spirits have whispered to him, told him of your future. When you reach the House of Hades, you will meet a formidable enemy. She cannot be overcome by strength or sword. You alone can defeat her, and you will require magic." 

Hazel’s legs felt wobbly. She remembered Nico’s grim expression, his fingers digging into her   
arm. You can’t tell the others. Not yet. Their courage is already stretched to the limit. 

"Who?" Hazel croaked. "Who is this enemy?"

"I will not speak her name," Hecate said. "That would alert her to your presence before you are ready to face her. Go north, Hazel. As you travel, practise summoning the Mist. When you arrive in Bologna, seek out the two dwarfs. They will lead you to a treasure that may help you survive in the House of Hades." 

"I don’t understand."

"Mew," the kitten complained. 

"Yes, yes, Hecuba." The goddess flicked her hand again, and the cat disappeared. The black Labrador was back in its place. "You will understand, Hazel," the goddess promised. "From time to time, I will send Gale to check on your progress."   
The polecat hissed, its beady red eyes full of malice.

"Wonderful," Hazel muttered.   
‘Before you reach Epirus, you must be prepared," Hecate said. "If you succeed, then perhaps we   
will meet again … for the final battle."

A final battle, Hazel thought. Oh, joy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo meets Percy's possible ex-girlfriend? Well, at least that's what he assumes when he hears a demon lady lamenting Percy Jackson's name...

Killing Archane had really taken something out of Leo. 

Maybe it was the loneliness starting to set in. Maybe it was Tartarus getting inside his head. But as he stumbled along the River of Fire, trying not to fall in because he wasn't sure even he would survive that, he couldn't help but feel disgusted at himself. When he killed Arachne, he hadn't even given it a second thought. He'd swung his hammer and smashed her head in without even looking. Even when fighting monsters up in the mortal world, Leo didn't think there had ever been a time where he'd killed a monster without trying to talk it out first. His brain was splitting as it argued against itself. One side was telling him that Arachne was a monster, that she was going to kill him, that she had almost doomed Percy and Annabeth to this hell. But the other side, the scathing, awful side of Leo, felt nothing but horror at how he killed her, the brutality of it. 

It wasn't the fact that he'd killed her. Over the past months, he'd killed plenty of monsters who had tried to kill him. It was the moment of pure rage and fear that scared him. The last time he was that angry was in the Wolf House when Khione threatened Jason and Piper. He remembered feeling blind anger, the fury at the snow goddess for threatening his friends. Years before that, he'd felt that same anger and dreadful fear when Gaia had tricked him into killing his mother. It felt exactly the same, just like he had when Arachne jumped him, an Leo wondered if his fire powers had bread something deep-seated and evil inside of him. Something that lived for pain and anger and torment.

"I'm in Tartarus," Leo muttered to himself, gnawing on his bottom lip. "Monsters surround me. They wouldn't hesitate to kill me. It's not a big deal. I'm not evil. I'm not evil. Get over it."

But for some reason he couldn't. 

His head started to droop down from exhaustion. The fire water may be stopping him from slowly suffocating to death; it didn't do anything to quench his thirst or hunger. If he was honest with himself, Leo couldn't remember the last time he ate or drank. It must have been on the Argo...possibly. He was just debating with himself if he should take a break - then he heard them. Voices.

Diving for a boulder, Leo pressed up against it and grabbed the biggest hammer he could from his tool belt, peeking up over the rock to spot the monster. His shoes almost touched the river and his squeezed himself up tighter against the rock.

Up ahead was a group of six...well, Leo didn't even know what they were. Their legs were like animals, all mismatched and odd but their bodies were...well, they were girls. Cheerleaders, to be exact. He snorted to himself. Tartarus had its own personal cheerleaders. He wondered who made up the football team? The Titans with Kronos as their quarterback?

The group of monsters seemed to be heading downstream too, arguing among themselves and twirling their pompoms. 

"I wonder, young one," an old and shriveled monster snarled, "if you do not know the way like you say you do. Has the Earth Mother really summoned us?" The lead girl, the one whose top half looked like the typical cheerleader Leo used to flirt with, whipped around and hissed. 

"Oh shut your fang hole, Serephone," she said. "When's the last time you escaped to the mortal world? I was there only a couple of years ago. I know the way. Besides, I understand what we're facing up there. You don't have a clue!"

There was more scuffling and feral moans and Leo bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. This was a bitch fight if he ever saw one. If Leo had expected anything in Tartarus, it definitely wasn't this. 

"Enough!" Serephone yelled. "Enough of this. We will follow Kelli. For now."

"Believe me," the cheerleader girl said, who Leo assumed must have been Kelli, "I have good reason to get into this fight. Gaia has called us and we are going to have so much fun. I will kill Percy Jackson before this war is over and have my revenge!"

Leo stilled. Percy? These things knew Percy? It'd be awkward if this was an ex-girlfriend of his, Leo thought. Heck, monsters were known to trick demigods into things like that so for all Leo knew, Kelli could have been an ex-girlfriend. A murderous one. But hadn't Percy told a story about fighting cheerleaders before? The ones that had attacked him at school? Surely these couldn't be them...but maybe...?

The group started shuffling away, hissing and growling at each other as they went. Leo stayed where he was, ignoring how he legs were beginning to cramp up. Then, slowly, he risked a peak over the boulder to see the monsters ahead, following the river. Well, as much as he didn't like it, he knew they were heading to the Doors of Death. That meant following them. 

_Brilliant._

Stumbling over the black, glassy terrain of Tartarus was not what Leo called a relaxing walk. His feet hurt, his head pounded, his mouth was dry and generally, he felt all out miserable. He constantly reminded himself that at least none of his friends were here to suffer this with him...but at the same time he was sure he would have felt much better if he had someone to lean on. He battled on though, just like he always did. 

The scary demon ladies weren't exactly the fastest things in hell. They regularly slowed down or stopped, constantly arguing and whining about each other, about their lives and all their hardships. It was almost funny. Leo liked funny. It meant that he was still himself. So that was what he did. As he trudged along, following the trail of the cheerleaders, he told himself jokes like he told everyone jokes to cheer them up. His mum always said that was his real superpower - the ability to find the funny side in every situation. 

Ahead, the monster ladies suddenly sped up and disappeared from sight. Leo felt panic bubble up in his stomach, worried that he'd lost them. Limping forwards faster, he made it to the spot where he last saw the group and his heart plummeted. A cliff. Another one. The River tumbled over the side and splashed down angrily, continuing on at the bottom. Below, he saw the monsters had just reached the ground and had started crossing the grey, dusty plain that stretch as far as Leo could see. Miles and miles it went on for, only broken up by the odd black, crumbling tree or bubbling blisters that rose to the surface. Monsters being reborn, Leo could only assume. Even if by some miracle Leo made it down a second cliff in his condition, he'd have the joy of crossing a wide open plain where he'd be spotted almost instantly. 

_Find the funny side,_ he thought desperately. _Find the funny side._

Well, maybe he'd finally get some muscles by all this climbing he was doing. 

Sighing to himself, he started the climb, concentrating with everything he had to make sure he didn't slip. His finger cramped, his legs trembled as his muscles screamed out for food. All he could offer was a breath mint as every other type of food had abandoned his tool belt. He must have been the best smelling demigod around with all these mints he was having. 

"Could be worse," he panted as he struggled over another ledge. "Could have fallen into the Lethe. Could have become a Leo pancake. Could have been burned up by fire water. But nope, I'm still here. Still here. Still here, Tartarus. I bet you didn't think I would be."

Was talking to yourself the first sign of madness? Possibly. Talking to the deadly spirit of the pit? Suicide. 

Finally, Leo's foot touched the bottom and he collapsed onto the ground. Breathing hard, he decided just to lie there for a few minutes just because he could. Damn the demon ladies because at this rate, he was going to die of exhaustion before he made it anywhere near the Doors. 

"Come on, Leo," he whispered to himself. "People up there are depending on you." He had a ship to get back to. And a dragon. And friends. And Jason and Piper. God, he wished he had Jason and Piper here right now, wished he had their calming voices of reason and loving hugs that held him together just when he needed them to. Now, he had to be there for them and close the Doors. That was why he was here.

"Get up, Leo," he groaned. "Get up!" He pushed himself up, straining as he rose to his feet again and started walking along the river. He avoided the cave entrances and stayed as close as possible to the river bank to drink fire water when he needed. It did nothing for his hunger or his thirst but at least it kept him going. 

Suddenly, he remembered why he was following this route and he froze in his tracks. Where were the demon ladies? They should have been right ahead. Unless they were hiding...

Too late, Leo grabbed a hammer from his tool belt. The demon ladies emerged from the rocks and boulders from where they had hidden. They surrounded him instantly, the six of them snarling and snapping as they laughed. The lead monster, Kelli limped forwards on her mismatched legs, her fangs glinting in the red light as she grinned.

"Ooh, a demigod," she cooed. "And a son of Hephaestus too. You'll be a spicy appetizer before I kill Percy Jackson." Leo swallowed hard. This had definitely not gone to plan. Fighting wouldn't work, he knew that already. Even if he had a sword, he didn't have the skill of Percy or Jason or even Hazel. He didn't have Piper's persuasion or Frank's powers. But he did have smarts and wit. And that was his only hope.

"Spicy is not how I would describe me," Leo said with a smirk. "Hot, yes. But spicy? Nah. They call me Flaming Hot Leo Valdez up in the mortal world. But you've been down here for a very long time so I'll forgive you if you don't recognise me."

"Hot?" Kelli scoffed. "You have no idea what hot is."

"Just like you have no idea what's going on up in the mortal world," Leo shot back. "Geez, I would have thought you ladies were smart, but obviously not."

"We know enough," Kelli said. "Gaia has spoken."

"You're heading towards a major defeat," Leo sang, shooting his typical shit-eating grin. "You lost the Titan War because Percy Jackson outsmarted you. What makes you think you can win this one? Besides, if Gaia is really calling for you lot, then she must be in trouble up there."

"We are powerful creatures!" Kelli screeched. "Gaia is waiting to use us at the last moment."

"Yeah, sure," Leo scoffed, then an idea sparked in his mind. He remembered, when Percy first told him the story, him saying something about the demon ladies use of the Mist and Charmspeak. They were in allegiance with Hecate, he was sure. Worth a risk, Leo supposed. He might as well use the knowledge he had. "But you're on the wrong side, you do know that right? Hecate is on our side now. Why are you fighting for Gaia against Hecate's wishes?"

That seemed to strike a nerve. The demon ladies shifted uncomfortably. "Is this true?" Serephone asked. "Has our lady made peace with Olympus?" 

"Shut up, Serephone!" Kelli shouted. "Gods, you're so annoying!" 

"I would follow Serephone if I was you," Leo said idily, clutching his hammer tighter. "She's older and wiser than Kelli. She knows the ways of Hecate." That seemed to do it. Kelli leapt at Serephone and the two women grappled. Half a second later though, Kelli stood triumphant over a pile of dust.

Dang it. 

"Will there be anymore issues?" Kelli hissed at her sisters. None of them moved. "Hecate is mysterious as she is knowledgeable. Who knows her real motives? But she is also the goddess of crossroads. She expects us to make our own choices. And I choose Gaia!"

Leo only had about a second warning before the demon ladies attacked. The first one came at him from the left and he just about managed to swing his hammer, disintegrating her instantly. He wasn't so lucky with the next two. One latched herself onto his hammer hand, sinking her teeth into his arm. The second launched herself onto his back, her claws digging into him painfully. Leo cried out, trying to shake the two monsters off him but to no avail. They forced him to his knees in front of Kelli who smiled sweetly at him. 

"Now, Leo Valdez, tell me how you know Percy Jackson," she said. Leo growled, pulling back but failing. The monsters held him in place, their claws and teeth digging in deeper and deeper. Kelli knelt down, grabbing Leo's chin and forcing him to look at her.

"You mentioned Percy Jackson," she said. "I wonder if you are a friend of his, hm?" Leo said nothing but he must have given something away because Kelli laughed. "Oh you are, aren't you. Well, Leo Valdez, when I find Percy in the mortal world, I'll tell him of this. I'll tell him how I killed you slowly, painfully, so he knows that this was all his fault. After all, I might have been lenient on you if you hadn't said his name. Such a pity." She slashed out and Leo jerked backwards as she clawed his stomach. Blood welled up and dripped down his shirt at the tear. The demon ladies seemed to become even more excited at the blood, their mouths slavering, ready for a taste. Leo closed his eyes, sending his final prayers up to his father and picturing Jason and Piper's faces, but then a shadow fell across him.

And a Titan dropped onto the battlefield.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper and Percy bond, Jason has a dream...

Percy spent the night training. 

He stood in the ship's gym, slashing his sword through various wooden dummies and pounding his fists into punching bags until he was dripping with sweat. He punched and punched at the boxing bag, not caring that his knuckles were splitting or his muscles were burning. Training was the only way he could clear his mind at the moment. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Leo falling away from him down into the pit. It infuriated Percy to the point of insanity. 

It should have been me, he thought as he slammed his fist into another punching bag. It was meant to be him that fell into Tartarus. Leo was just a kid. He was barely fifteen years old and had practically thrown himself into the chasm just to save Percy and Annabeth. Percy had barely known Leo, and what made it worse was that he hadn't really tried to get to know him. Granted, they'd started off on the wrong foot when Leo attacked New Rome, but Percy knew that wasn't Leo's fault. He had been possessed by the eidolons himself so he knew what it was like. Percy wasn't one to hold a grudge, but he didn't try and talk to Leo much either. 

Guilt surged through him and launched a kick into the punching bag. The chain snapped and the bag fell to the ground with a crash. Percy stood over it, breathing hard with his fists still clenched.

"Well that was dramatic," a voice said. He whipped around and was surprised to see Piper standing awkwardly at the gym door. She was also dressed in workout clothes, her dagger was strapped to her side where her hand lay on the hilt.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away from Piper. "Er...yeah, sorry if I woke you," he said.

"I was already awake," Piper told him. "Nightmares," she elaborated with Percy didn't reply. She moved further into the room, her eyes wide as she looked around at the carnage Percy had caused. "Are you...are you okay?" Percy snorted.

"I should be the one asking you that," he said. "You're the one who lost you best friend." He then grimaced at his words. "Sorry. That was insensitive. Just forget I said that." Piper shook her head, toeing past a wooden dummy carefully.

"It's alright," she said with a small laugh. She hesitated for a moment, shaking her head. "Well, I mean, it's not alright. I'm not alright. But I'm trying to be. You know, trying to stay strong for the team, trying to make sure we make it to Greece to save Leo." Percy bit his lip, watching Piper as she came to a stop near him. He hadn't really spoken to Piper much before. It was much the same as Leo, he just hadn't made the effort. But he did know she was badass and a wicked talker. He would be dead at least twice over if it wasn't for Piper's quick thinking. Just looking at her now, Percy couldn't help but think about Silena Beauregard and how much Piper reminded him of her. He didn't do right by Silena, but maybe he could do right by Piper. 

"It would be okay, you know, if you didn't want to pretend to be okay," he said, slightly cursing himself for his awkwardness and lack of eloquence. "I mean, if you needed to talk about it, then we're all here. I know you probably would talk to Jason or Annabeth or Hazel before me but, I don't know, I'm offering. Just in case." Piper looked up at him, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Thanks, Percy," she said. 

"Yeah, yeah, no worries," Percy said, running a hand through his hair. He and Piper stared at each other, and Percy was just thinking about leaving when Piper spoke up again.

"I miss him," she whispered. "I spend my days worrying over him, wondering if today will be the day Nico and Hazel tell us Leo is dead, and each day that goes by that they don't makes me feel such relief and horror at the same time."

Percy nodded in understanding. "I get it. Not knowing what's happening to a friend is hard."

"It just feels so hopeless," Piper said softly. "I want to talk to someone about this stuff but I'm not sure anyone can completely understand, you know? Annie is so torn up in guilt that she's working herself to death. Hazel and Frank are trying their best to keep us all together. Jason is going crazy and missing Leo to the point that he's going to get himself killed. And you...well..." She gestured around her and Percy blushed in self-consciousness. 

"I wasn't- I mean, I'm no really close to Leo," he shrugged. "But he sacrificed himself to save me and Annabeth. I made him a promise, and I'm not about to break it." Piper nodded but Percy sensed there was a lot more she was unwilling to say. The details of Piper's, Jason's and Leo's friendship weren't exactly clear, and Percy noticed that sometimes they certainly didn't act like traditional friends. But he wasn't about to judge or press. He knew that wasn't what Piper needed.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can fix a mean hot chocolate or a blue cookie?" 

"Actually," Piper said, "I really need a distraction right now. I was wondering if you could maybe do some training with me? I haven't exactly been in the demigod game for long and the little training I did before we left camp doesn't exactly cut it. It sounds stupid but I heard you're a great teacher. Could you...maybe train with me? For a bit?" Percy smiled.

"That I can do."

***

_If there was one thing Jason hated about being a demigod, it was the dreams._

_He found himself standing at the bottom of a cliff. It wasn't any normal cliff; the rock was Black and jagged like broken glass. The sky above him was tinged red and the very air felt like poison in his lungs. His skin crawled uneasily, his instincts screaming at him to fly away. But his feet were rooted to the spot._

_"Dreadful place, isn't it," a voice said. Jason turned to see Juno, or Hera in this form, standing next to him. She wore her usual white gown with a black cloak, her eyes stern and severe. She regarded Jason thoughtfully. "You do know where you are, don't you?"_

_"Tartarus," Jason replied._

_"Indeed," Hera said. She gazed around her in disdain. "It does not surprise me that this was where Gaia decided to hide the Doors of Death. Obvious, really. Cruel, but obvious."_

_"What do you want, Hera?" Jason demanded. "Why am I here?" Hera scowled then raised her hand, pointing towards the cliff._

_"Watch," she said. Jason did, looking up and squinting his eyes. Moving slowly down the cliff was a small form, clinging to the rock for dear life. As the figure descended further, Jason soon recognised his curly hair and overalls._

_"Leo," he whispered._

_The son of Hephaestus was gripping onto the cliff so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Leo's arms and legs were shaking from effort, his muscles close to giving up from the exertion of climbing. In the real world, Jason doubted that Leo would look this exhausted from the climb. But this was Tartarus and the very air you breathed was trying to kill you._

_Jason tried to run towards Leo, to fly up and grab him, but the ground clung to his feet and prevented him from moving. He turned desperately to Hera, eyes wild. "Do something!" He yelled. "For gods sake, he's meant to be your chosen one or something! Save him!"_

_"I cannot," Hera said, shaking her head solemnly. "Believe me, this is not the path I had chosen for Leo Valdez. I would have much preferred it if the Athena spawn and Percy Jackson were here. But it seems that Leo is not very good at bowing to fate. He interfered and now even I am unsure of his future."_

_"Send me down to Tartarus," Jason begged. "I don't care if it kills me but he shouldn't be alone! He won't survive!"_

_"The very fact he has survived so far has given me hope that he might just complete the task at hand," Hera said. "And I couldn't send you here Jason, even if I wanted to. This is a journey and Leo Valdez must complete himself." Jason looked up helplessly, watching as Leo clambered down the last few metres before he collapsed at the bottom of the cliff. He lay there on his back, gasping for breath and trembling._

_"What can I do?" Jason asked. When Hera didn't answer, he turned towards her and fell to his knees. "Please, Hera. Please, I'll do anything you ask. Just tell me how to save him." The Queen of Olympus looked at him, her gaze stern and calculating._

_"You must complete your own mission, Jason Grace," she told him. "With luck on your side, perhaps both the Argo and Leo will survive."_

_"There must be something more!" Jason shouted. "For Hades sake, you're a goddess! Save him!"_

_"Focus on your mission, Jason," Hera said. "Do not let your insignificant human emotions distract you. This is your warning. Now go. It will not take long for Tartarus to sense your presence here, and I will not lose a second hero to Gaia."_

_"No, wait!" Jason yelled. "You can't just leave him!" But the world swirled around him and disappeared._

"No!" Jason sat bolt right up in bed, his breathing ragged. Someone was banging on his door frantically, the ship creaking and groaning.

"Jason!" Hazel cried from outside. "Jason, get up! We're being attacked!"

That was when an explosion hit the deck and the ship listed sideways.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one touches Leo's stuff, and Jason is sure as hell not going to let two dwarfs steal it...

Jason didn't think being a demigod could get any worse. Sure, he had fought monsters and titans and giants. He had faced almost every kind of evil. But dwarfs? Now that was one step too far.

He found himself tumbling out of bed as the entire ship listed sideways, rolling across the floor until he hit the wall. Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet, stumbling around and grabbing random items of clothing and armour and throwing it all on. Luckily, his sword had been lying on his bedside table until his room had been destroyed, so it was fairly easy to find it amongst the mess. 

The cabin shook as another explosion sounded above him and for a moment, Jason swore he'd heard Leo shouting orders. His heart leapt but he quickly pushed the thought from his mind. Hera was right about one thing. He had to keep his feelings out of the fight. He'd be no good to Leo if he didn't manage to get the team to the House of Hades in time to save him. 

Charging forwards, Jason sprinted up onto the deck only to find Piper and Coach Hedge wrapped in duct tape and struggling against their bonds. Dancing around in front of them was by far the weirdest thing Jason had ever seen. The dwarf was about four feet tell with bowed legs and chimp-like feet. He was wearing the loudest clothes possible: green-plaid trousers with red suspenders and a striped pink and black blouse. Each of his arms were covered in gold watches which barely fit over the red fur sprouting over his body, most of which seemed to be concentrated in his magnificent eyebrows. 

But where were the others? Surely they had heard the explosion too. Piper spotted Jason standing behind the dwarf and her eyes widened. She tried to shout a muffled warning from behind her duct tape gag which Jason did not understand. That was until Percy Jackson tackled him by the waist. 

"GET DOWN!" He yelled, grabbing Jason and throwing the both of them to the ground. The third explosion boomed in Jason's ears and he felt the heat burn the back of his neck. Groggily, he lifted his head, dizzy and disorientated. Percy had somehow managed to get to his feet but was stumbling around like a baby deer, randomly swinging Riptide at a second brown-furred dwarf who had appeared. Brown Fur was giggling as he teased Percy, prancing in reach of Percy's swings before jumping back out the way again. 

Jason wasn't exactly doing much better than Percy. His limbs felt numb and useless, like he'd just been hit by a four tonne block of concrete. Brown Fur had decided he'd had enough with Percy and skipped over to the ballista where Red Fur was loading in to launch. Brown Fur giggled again, waving his hand at Jason before his friend pressed the trigger, shooting Brown Fur into the sky while he balanced on the projectile like a skateboard. Red Fur wasn't far behind, jumping up onto the railing, saluting Jason and back-flipping off. 

By this point, Percy had seemed to notice Jason's predicament and limped over to help him. "We need to get them," he croaked, yanking Jason to his feet and steadying him as the world started to spin. "They stole Piper's dagger and Leo's stuff." Jason saw red at that. He felt Jupiter's anger bubble under his skin like lightning. Attacking the ship, fine. Blowing up stuff, fine. But stealing Leo's stuff? The one thing that Jason had left of his best friend? Those dwarfs didn't know what they had coming. 

The entire ship was in chaos. Various boxes of weapons and items that Leo had been working on were strewn about and scattered across the floor. The dwarfs had been setting off various grenades in an attempt to destroy as much as possible. Up on the top deck, Annabeth was frantically working on the control panel, trying to right the ship which was dangerously tipping to one side. Jason had absolutely no idea where Hazel and Nico were, but Frank was frantically trying to cut Piper and Hedge free of the tape. Staggering forwards through the wreckage, Jason fell to his knees by Piper and ripped off her gag. 

"Don't worry about me!" she said. "Go after them!"

"They took the Archimedes sphere!" Annabeth yelled from the control console. "And a bunch of other things too. We can't leave here without that sphere!"

"Annabeth, go with Jason," Percy ordered, his eyes hard. "I'll keep an eye on the ship. You and Jason go get those dwarfs." If Annabeth was surprised that Percy was giving her orders, she didn't show it. In fact, she looked more determined than anyone. She hopped down from the control panel and turned towards Jason.

"You good to control the winds?" she asked. Jason nodded, wrapping and arm around Annabeth's waist. 

"We'll be back soon," he said then lifted off. 

***

It was only a short flight, the city of Bologna just right below them. Jason and Annabeth touched down in a large piazza lined with white marble government buildings and outdoor cafés. Bikes and Vespas clogged the surrounding streets, but the square itself was empty except for pigeons and a few old men drinking espressos.None of the locals seemed to notice the huge Greek warship hovering over the piazza, nor the fact that Jason and Annabeth had just flown down – Jason wielding a gold sword, and Annabeth with her bronze dagger. Annabeth silently thanked Leo for using Mist to hide the Argo. She didn't know what they'd do if mortals suddenly thought they were being attacked. 

"Alright, where to?" Jason asked, turning to her. Annabeth pursed her lips, looking up at the Argo and mentally calculating the distance in her mind. 

"The dwarfs fired the ballista in that direction," Annabeth said, pointing across the piazza. "They couldn't have gone far after that."

"That way it is then," Jason grumbled, his grip tightening on his blade. They waded through the cobbled streets, past shops and restaurants and avoiding people as much as they could. Jason didn't seem to be in a talking mood, so Annabeth spent the time studying him instead. In the short time she'd known Jason, she'd already built up a pretty good picture of his character in her mind. He was a fighter, that's for sure, and a good one at that. He wasn't one to back down from a fight if it was for something he believed to be right. There was power in him that Annabeth was certain he had yet to unlock. But there was a sadness that surrounded him, making him reluctant to use the powers he had been given. 

That sadness had definitely grown since they'd lost Leo. 

Gods know that both Jason and Piper hadn't been themselves. Annabeth remembered what Percy had told her about his conversation with Piper, how he thought there was something more to the story. Looking at Jason now, Annabeth thought the same. She'd seen the flash of anger in his eyes when Percy had told him the dwarfs had stolen Leo's things. She could feel the desperate air around Jason, the way he kept pushing them forwards towards Epirus and the Doors of Death. They all missed Leo, more than Annabeth ever thought she would. It was only recently that she realised she missed Leo's jokes, their late night talks in the dining room where they'd go over plans for weapons and temples together. She missed the way his mind worked, how he looked up to her not just as a intellectual mentor, but also as an older sister. But for Jason, it was clear that he was missing Leo, but Annabeth didn't think it was just as a best friend. There was definitely more to the equation. 

"Hey, look," Jason said, breaking Annabeth from her thoughts. She looked up and found herself in a smaller piazza in front of a huge, naked statue of Neptune. She felt a small blush rise to her cheeks at the sight. This was her boyfriend's dad after all. 

"Do you reckon this is a clue?" Jason asked Annabeth, both of them stepping forwards to examine the statue. 

"I'm not sure," Annabeth replied. "There are lots of statues of gods around Italy." She moved closer, climbing up onto the pedestal and placing her hand on the stone. Inside, she sense Celestial bronze for sure, maybe even some gears. She was sure Leo would be able to sense more if he were here. "This is definitely mechanical," she told Jason. "Maybe even an entrance to a secret lair."

"Oooh a secret lair?" shrieked a voice nearby. "I want a secret lair!"

"I want a secret lair too!" another voice yelled from above. 

Jason stepped back, his sword ready and his face as dark as thunder. Annabeth almost got whiplash trying to look in two places at once.The red-furred dwarf in the cowboy hat was sitting about thirty feet away at the nearest café table,sipping an espresso held by his monkey-like foot. The brown-furred dwarf in the green bowler was perched on the marble pedestal at Neptune's feet, just above Leo's head. 

"If we had a secret lair," said Red Fur, "I would want a firehouse pole. And a water slide!" 

Brown Fur laughed in agreement, tinkering with Leo's Archimedes sphere and throwing away parts. "Stop that!" Jason growled, charging forwards but Annabeth stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. 

"Stay quiet," she hissed at him. "These are tricksters. You can't beat them by force."

"Yes, we are tricksters," Red Fur agreed, reaching into his bag and pulling out Piper's dagger to play with. "We are the best tricksters."

"The very best," Brown Fur nodded. 

"Oh, I am very sure of that," Annabeth said, trying to put on her best admiring voice. "You did very well on our ship. We're so impressed, we wanted to find out who you are!"

"Oooh, I love fans!" said Brown Fur. "Well, Miss Blondie, we shall introduce ourselves! I am Akmon. And my brother over there-"

"-is the handsome one!' The red-furred dwarf lifted his espresso. Judging from his dilated eyes and his maniacal grin, he didn't need any more caffeine. "Passalos! Singer of songs! Drinker of coffee! Stealer of shiny stuff!"

"You're the Kerkopes," Annabeth realised. Silently, she cursed to the gods. Flattery would only get them so far with these two, plus she had a raging son of Jupiter next to her to control who was going to explode at any minute. 

"So you've heard of us!" Passalos looked very pleased indeed, grinning from ear to ear. Annabeth coughed, her hand gripping her dagger more tightly. 

"Of course I've heard of you!" she said. "How could anyone not heard of the famous dwarfs who tricked even the mighty Hercules." Both the dwarfs pretended to swoon.

"Ahh Black Bottom," Akmon sighed. "He was such fun, wasn't he, brother? Walking around naked in the sun so much his bottom became very tanned indeed. He was going to kill us when we stole from him but he liked our jokes so much he let us go! Very good sense of humor, Black Bottom had."

"I'm sure," Annabeth agreed. "Well we have a good sense of humor too. I'll tell you what, if you give us all our stuff back, we can trade for all the jokes we know. I think that sounds like a fair deal, don't you?" The two dwarfs looked at each other and, for one hopeful second, Annabeth thought they would agree. But then they burst out laughing, throwing their head backs at the force of it. 

"We don't think so," Akmon giggled. "Nice try though!" Annabeth opened her mouth, wanting to keep negotiating, but apparently Jason had had enough.

"That's it!" he shouted. "Our stuff. Now. Or I'll fry you both." Jason thrust his sword into the sky. Dark clouds began to gather over the piazza. Thunder boomed. 

"Oh, scary!" Akmon shrieked. 

"Yes," Passalos agreed. "If only we had a secret lair to hide in." 

"Alas, this statue isn't the doorway to a secret lair," Akmon said. "It has a different purpose."

Annabeth's gut twisted and she realized something was very wrong. "Trap!" she yelled and dived from the statue's pedestal. Unfortunately, Jason was too busy summoning his storm. Annabeth rolled on her back as five golden cords shot from the Neptune statue's fingers. One barely missed her feet. The rest homed in on Jason, wrapping him like a rodeo calf and yanking him upside down.A bolt of lightning blasted the tines of Neptune's trident, sending arcs of electricity up and down the statue, but the Kerkopes had already disappeared. 

"Bravo!" Akmon applauded from a nearby café table. "You make a wonderful piñata, son of Jupiter!"

"Yes!' Passalos agreed. "Hercules hung us upside down once, you know. Oh, revenge is sweet!" Annabeth threw her dagger at Passalos, who was trying to juggle two pigeons and the Archimedes sphere. "Eek!" The dwarf jumped out of the way, dropping the sphere and letting the pigeons fly. 

"Time to leave!" Akmon decided.He tipped his bowler and sprang away, jumping from table to table. Passalos glanced at the Archimedes sphere, which had rolled between Annabeth's feet. She glared at the dwarf. "Try me," she snarled. 

"Bye!" Passalos did a back flip and ran after his brother. Annabeth scooped up the Archimedes sphere and ran over to Jason, who was still hanging upside down,thoroughly hog-tied except for his sword arm. He was trying to cut the cords with his gold blade but having no luck. "Hold on," Annabeth said. "If I can find a release switch-" 

"Just go!" Jason growled. "I'll follow you when I get out of this." 

"But Jason-" 

"Don't lose them! We need to get everything back!" The last thing Annabeth wanted was some alone time with the monkey dwarfs, but the Kerkopes were already disappearing around the far corner of the piazza. Annabeth left Jason hanging and ran after them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo makes friends with Bob but Tartarus is beginning to take its toll...

Leo didn't think things could get any weirder, but a Titan falling from the sky was definitely not on his Things To Meet In Tartarus list. A Titan, who was ten feet tall with silver Einstein hair and wearing a blue janitors uniform with the name tag of BOB. Yep, things definitely just got weirder.

The crazy demon ladies screeched in panic, immediately dropping Leo who crumpled to the ground. The Titan swung his broomstick in delight, crashing it into the monsters who barely knew what hit them. "Do something, you cowards!" Kelli screamed at her friends. "Stop him-" But she was cut short when the Titan raised his huge foot and stomped on her head. She dissolved into yellow monster dust right on the spot.

"SWEEP!" The Titan laughed, knocking another monster of her feet and smacking the next one so she sailed upwards and plunged into the fire river. "Sweep, sweep, sweep!" The rest of the demon ladies scattered quickly, running away as fast as their mismatched legs could carry them. The janitor turned to Leo who stared up at him in a mixture of terror and relief. "Bob sweeps!" the janitor grinned, jumping in a little victory dance. "Bob sweeps the monsters away."

"You sure did that," Leo murmured, looking away at the piles of yellow monster dust in awe. The Titan, or Bob as he seemed to call himself, strode towards Leo who tried to back away. "Er-take it easy there, big guy!" he squeaked.

"I heard you say you are friend of Percy," Bob said excitedly. "I thought Percy might be here too, but it is just you, friend of Percy."

"Yep, that's me," Leo said quickly. "I'm a friend of Percy's. Me and him go way back. Best buds, actually. Mates before dates and all that. Funny though, Aquaman never mentioned who was buddies with a Titan... But I suppose he didn't mentioned he has a crazy monster ex-girlfriend called Kelli so you know..." Bob didn't seem to be listening to Leo's rambling. Instead, his gaze was focused on the gash across Leo's stomach where the monsters had slashed him.

"Owie," he frowned, pointing at Leo. He reached forwards and Leo yelped, trying to jump back. Bob was much too quick for him though and gently laid his hand across Leo's arm. Instantly, all of Leo's wounds closed up, the pain slowly ebbing away until it was just a dull ache. "All better!" Bob announced. Leo almost couldn't believe it. Shakily, he rose to his feet, craning his neck to look up at the Titan who was practically double his height.

"Thanks, Bob," he said.

"You're welcome, friend of Percy," Bob grinned.

"Oh, I'm Leo," Leo said in reply. "Or Super Sized McShizzle. Or Supreme Commander of the Argo II. Or-"

"Friend of Percy!" Bob cheered. Leo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Not the most creative of nicknames, but I'll take it," he muttered. He looked back up at Bob, opening his mouth to ask how on earth the Titan got here, but the janitor's face had suddenly turned serious. "Er, Bob? Everything okay up there, buddy?"

"We must go," the Titan said. "Yes, time to talk later. We must go before they find you."

"They?" Leo asked, definitely not liking the sound of that. He turned to scan the horizon but saw no approaching monsters. Just wasteland and reddish skies.

"Yes, indeed, they are coming," Bob agreed. "But come, friend of Percy! Bob knows a way. Yes, come, we will have fun!"

***

Leo followed Bob through the wasteland, tracing the route of the Phlegethon as they approached the storm front of darkness. Every so often, Bob would tell him to stop and drink more firewater which Leo would always groan at. He may have been practically fire proof, but the firewater did not go down very well. His throat felt like he was constantly gargling with battery acid. 

"Urgh," he groaned after another gulp, shuddering and trying not to throw up. 

"Does firewater not taste nice?" Bob asked. His eyes were wide with concern, and Leo didn't have the heart to tell him that it didn't. Neither did he want to risk making the titan angry. So he bit back his grimace and shook his head.

"It's fine, big guy," he said, hating how his voice was croaky and cracking. "It's totally fine." If Bob didn't believe him, he didn't say anything. He only patted Leo's back with one huge hand which Leo was sure would leave bruises. 

On they went, trudging towards the storm. Leo had absolutely no idea why they were heading that way, but he was too scared to ask Bob. In fact, he was too scared to do anything but walk at all. He was aching all over, hurting from bruises, shaking with exhaustion, starving, thirsty, miserable, and completely terrified. Leo wanted to go home. He wanted Jason and Piper. He wanted to curl up in bed surrounded by their love and cry. Tears started welling up in his eyes but he furiously wiped them. He couldn't afford to be weak here. It was not the time to cry. 

"So Bob," Leo said casually, trying to distract himself from his overwhelming feelings. "How did you get down here?" Bob turned back with a grin. 

"I jumped," he said, like it was obvious.

"Oh, right," Leo said. "Totally normal to jump into Tartarus after someone who says your friend's name." Unexpectedly, the titan burst into booming laughter so loud that Leo felt his bones shake. 

"You are funny, friend of Percy," Bob chuckled. "I should call you funny friend of Percy instead."

"You can just call me Leo," Leo grumbled. "But really Bob, why did you jump? I'm not Percy." Bob stopped and turned, and Leo instantly felt panic as the titan loomed over him. He tried to resist the urge to flinch but epic failed. 

"Percy is my friend," Bob said simply. "And I trust Percy. So if Percy likes Leo, then Bob also likes Leo." He nodded affirmatively then smiled. "Come along, funny friend. We're almost at rest stop." Leo's heart leapt. A rest stop? Part of him hoped that Bob was talking about some sort of diner with clean restrooms and hundred of burgers and fries. Gods, what he'd do for some burgers and fries right now. He almost laughed at the thought. A diner in Tartarus for all your monster needs.

Leo hobbled along, trying to ignore the rumble in his stomach. He stared at Bob's back as he led them towards the wall of darkness, now only a few hundred yards away. His blue janitor's coveralls were ripped between the shoulder blades, as if someone had tried to stab him. Cleaning rags stuck out of his pocket. A squirt bottle swung from his belt, the blue liquid inside sloshing hypnotically. 

"How did you meet Water Boy then?" Leo piped up again, not liking the silence. 

"Percy rescued me," Bob replied. "Percy was very kind. He and his friends the scary Hades boy and the lightning girl saved me."

"You mean Nico and Thalia?" Leo asked in surprise. "Wow, you've met almost every big three child there is then. You should meet my friends Jason and Hazel and you'd have a full set."

"Is a full set good?" Bob queried. He looked confused at the phrase.

"Yeah, a full set is good, big guy," Leo assured him. "Jason and Hazel are cool. I reckon Hazel would really like you. She's Nico's sister but not like Nico, if you get what I mean." 

"I heard Hades talk about this Hazel" Bob exclaimed excitedly. "She likes shiny things." Leo laughed at that.

"She does, I'll give you that," he replied. "So how did Percy save you?"

"I fell into a river," Bob said bluntly. "Percy likes rivers. He helped me." A river... Suddenly Leo's blood went cold. How could he have been so stupid? Bob was a titan but he didn't act like one. He fell into a river but apparently loved Percy Jackson. Bob must have fallen into the river Lethe and forgotten all his memories. He didn't remember he was a titan who was supposed to hate demigods. Leo swallowed hard. What if Tartarus would heal Bob's memories? If he sent Bob away, Leo knew he wouldn't survive another minute here. But if Bob stayed and suddenly remembered who he was... Well, Leo didn't know which titan Bob was exactly but he definitely knew titans were not good. Following Bob through Tartarus was a crazy risk, but Leo couldn't think of a better plan.

They picked their way across the ashen wasteland as red lightning flashed overhead in the poisonous clouds. Just another lovely day in the dungeon of creation. Leo couldn't see far in the hazy air, but the longer they walked, the more certain he became that the entire landscape was a downward curve. He'd heard conflicting descriptions of Tartarus. It was a bottomless pit. It was a fortress surrounded by brass walls. It was nothing but an endless void.One story described it as the inverse of the sky – a huge, hollow, upside-down dome of rock. That seemed the most accurate, though if Tartarus was a dome Leo guessed it was like the sky – with no real bottom but made of multiple layers, each one darker and less hospitable than the last.And even that wasn't the full, horrible truth...

They passed a blister in the ground – a writhing, translucent bubble the size of a minivan. Curled inside was the half-formed body of a drakon. Bob speared the blister without a second thought. It burst in a geyser of steaming yellow slime, and the drakon dissolved into nothing. 

Bob kept walking and Leo tried not to throw up again.

They kept moving but Leo was starting to struggle. His muscles were burning, his eyesight blurring, his lungs aching. He tripped on a larger rock, falling face first into the dirt. Bob looked back and clambered over to help but Leo shook his head, pushing himself back up. 

"Leo must let me help," Bob said gently. 

"I'm fine," Leo groaned, stumbling forwards again. He should have listened to Bob because not two minutes later, Leo had collapsed again. This time, he couldn't get up. Despite his protests, Bob reached down and swung Leo up into his arms. Leo must have looked like a rag doll in the hands of a huge titan, but he couldn't bring himself to care. 

"Rest, funny Leo," Bob said. "You are safe with me." Leo tried his absolute hardest to stay awake, but once again, he completely failed, slipping into unconsciousness in the arms of a titan. 

Bet no demigod could say they ever did that.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth takes a leaf out of Leo's book and plays with fire...

The dwarfs didn't try very hard to lose her, which made Annabeth incredibly suspicious. 

They stayed just at the edge of her vision, scampering over red-tiled rooftops, knocking over window boxes, whooping and hollering and leaving a trail of random items behind them. It was almost as if they wanted Annabeth to follow. She jogged after them, hauling the Archimedes sphere with her and watching their every move carefully. Rounding a corner, she saw two ancient stone towers jutting into the sky, side by side, much taller than anything else in the neighbourhood – maybe medieval watch-towers? Judging by the architecture and the way they leaned in different directions, she guessed that a very experienced builder had created them. She was almost jealous by the genius of it.

The Kerkopes scaled the tower on the right. When they reached the top, they climbed around the back and disappeared. Had they gone inside? Annabeth could see some tiny windows at the top, covered with metal grates, but she doubted those would stop the dwarfs. She watched for a minute, but the Kerkopes didn't reappear. 

Which meant Annabeth had to get up there and look for them.

"Perfect," she muttered. How on earth was she meant to get up there? Jason was still tangled up and gods know where in the city. The ship was too far away to call for backup. She didn't have any fancy powers to call upon. Heck, she didn't even have Leo's smarts to build something to help her out.

 _But you do have your mind_ , a part of her brain whispered. Annabeth wanted to argue back that her mind was no use at all in this situation. In fact, she didn't trust her brain at all after losing Leo. It was her fault after all. If she'd just been smart enough to cut the spider webs that had almost dragged her down into the pit, if she had pushed Percy away when he grabbed her or used her knife to climb back up the chasm, maybe Leo wouldn't be down in Tartarus right now.

She couldn't even begin to imagine what he was facing down there. Monsters, poisonous air, terrain, things worse than she'd dared to think of. Everyday, she asked Nico and Hazel to check if Leo was still alive, and everyday they told her that he was, but wouldn't be for much longer. It left Annabeth with the determination and the resolve to pick up where Leo left off and make sure the ship made it to Greece in one piece.

A job much harder than she'd ever anticipated. Before Leo fell, she had absolutely no idea the amount of work Leo was doing single-handedly to keep the ship in the air. Now, she experienced that first hand every time Festus reported something was wrong. It was exhausting trying to keep up with all the faults, especially with monsters attacking all day, every day. 

_Stop it_ , she told herself. She had a job to do. Worrying about Leo would have to wait.

Annabeth looked away from the towers and down at the Archimedes sphere in her hands. She had absolutely no idea how to use it, and she didn't have the time to learn either, but what she could do was use it as bait. The dwarfs wouldn't trade, she knew that. Annabeth wouldn't give up the sphere either knowing how hard Leo had worked to get it. However, they could be distracted by it...

Glancing around, she noticed a small grocery store just down the round on the corner. Hopefully they'd have what she needed. Jogging towards it, Annabeth made her way in and down the various aisles until she found the items she required. 

Matches, cooking oil, and kitchen roll. 

Quickly making her way to the cashier, she paid with the few euros she still had from Rome, stuffing the items into a plastic bag along with the Archimedes sphere. Then, she ran from the shop and towards the towers. The dwarfs went for the one on the right, so Annabeth located to the entrance and started up the winding stairs inside. She was stopped briefly at the ticket booth but managed to slip past the caretaker while he was distracted with a family who arrived just behind her. 

The stairs went on and on and on. They were beautifully crafted, just like the tower itself, but Annabeth didn't stop to admire the architecture. She didn't think she'd ever be this grateful to Chiron for pushing her in training, but it meant that her fitness levels were more than enough to tackle the tower. If she could climb a lava wall, she could definitely climb this. 

Finally, she reached the top. 

The room was about the size of a broom closet, with barred windows on all four walls. Shoved inthe corners were sacks of treasure, shiny goodies spilling all over the floor. Annabeth spotted Piper'sknife, an old leather-bound book, a few interesting-looking mechanical devices and enough gold togive Hazel's horse a stomachache.At first, she thought the dwarfs had left. Then she looked up. 

Akmon and Passalos were hanging upside down from the rafters by their chimp feet, playing antigravity poker. When they saw Annabeth, they threw their cards like confetti and broke out in applause. "I told you she'd do it!" Akmon shrieked in delight. Passalos shrugged and took off one of his gold watches and handed it to his brother. 

"You win. I didn't think she was that dumb." 

"Calling a daughter of Athena dumb is not the wisest," Annabeth said as they dropped to the floor.

Passalos straightened his cowboy hat and kicked open the grate on the nearest window. "What should we make her climb next, brother? The dome of San Luca?" Annabeth smiled sweetly. 

"Oh, that sounds fun!" she said. "But, before you guys go, I wanted to return something." She reached into her bag and pulled out the Archimedes sphere. "I thought you'd like this back. Upon closer inspection, I realised that it is much to valuable to be carried around by a demigod. Better that it is kept safe by you." The dwarfs looked at each other before lunging at the sphere, snatching it from Annabeth's hands. 

"Valuable?" Akmon scowled. "How valuable?"

"It is very shiny," Passalos stated. 

"She gave it to me!" Akmon growled, pulling the sphere away from his brother.

"No, it's mine!" Passalos yelled, grabbing it back.

While the dwarfs were fighting, Annabeth moved slowly towards the pile of treasures in the corner. From her bag, she grabbed the cooking oil and kitchen roll, tearing up the material and throwing it over the gold. Then, she poured the oil over it and grabbed the matches. The dwarfs hadn't seemed to notice what she was doing, too busy fighting between themselves.

"Hey!" Annabeth shouted. Immediately, the brothers stopped and turned towards her. "You take one more step, and I'll torch all your treasures!"

"The shinies!" Akmon cried, taking a step forwards but Annabeth lit the match. 

"I'll burn it all!" she threatened.

"No, please!" Passalos wailed. "Don't burn the shinies!"

"We'll make you a deal!" Akmon suggested. "We'll cut you in for ten percent if you let us go!"

"Afraid not," Annabeth said triumphantly. She hadn't been sure her plan would work but the dwarf's love of shiny things was also their weakness.

"We'll do anything!" Akmon said again. 

"I only want a few things," she said. "And, if you swear on the River Styx that I can have them, and that you'll let me leave without stopping me and you promise to never steal from me again, then I will not burn your treasures in return."

"Yes, yes, we swear, we swear!" the dwarfs cried. "Please, please don't burn them!" 

Just then, thunder boomed overhead. Lightning flashed, and the bars on the nearest window burstinto sizzling, melted stubs of iron.Jason flew in like Peter Pan, electricity sparking around him and his gold sword steaming. His eyes immediately focused in on the dwarfs who stood with their hands up and staring at Annabeth. 

"I just wasted a perfectly good entrance, didn't I?" Jason frowned. 

"Something like that," Annabeth agreed. "You're just in time though. Me and our friends here have made a deal. We can take what we want, and in return I won't burn all their gold." 

"Smart," Jason said appreciatively. 

"How did you find me anyway?" Annabeth asked. 

"Saw these big towers and figured you'd be somewhere around here," he replied. Annabeth nodded. 

"Grab everything we need," she told him. "I'll keep an eye on Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dee here." Jason started rummaging through the piles of the dwarfs' shinies whilst Annabeth kept them under control. He found Piper's dagger easily enough, pocketing it quickly as if the dwarfs would steal it again. It was only then that Annabeth remembered what Hazel had said.

"Jason," she said. "Didn't Hazel say we needed something from here. Something that may help us with the quest?"

"I was thinking that," Jason said. "But there's so much here..."

"Watch the dwarfs for a minute," Annabeth ordered. "Fry them if they try anything." She turned towards the piles of treasure and started looking. She wasn't quite sure what she was searching for, but there were a few objects that were catching her eye. There were coins, gold nuggets, jewellery, paper clips, foil wrappers, cuff links, and all manner of other valuable things. But she kept coming back to a couple of things that didn't seem to belong.

One was an old bronze navigation device, like an astrolabe from a ship. It was badly damaged and seemed to be missingsome pieces, but Annabeth still found it fascinating. 

"Take it!" Passalos offered. 

"Odysseus made it, you know! Take it and let us go."

"Odysseus?" Jason asked in surprise. "Like, the Odysseus?"

"Yes!" Passalos squeaked. "Made it when he was an old man in Ithaca. One of his last inventions,and we stole it!"

"How does it work?" Annabeth asked. 

"Oh, it doesn't," Akmon said. "Something about a missing crystal?" He glanced at his brother forhelp. 

"'My biggest what-if'," Passalos said. "'Should've taken a crystal.' That's what he kept mutteringin his sleep, the night we stole it." Passalos shrugged. "No idea what he meant. But the shiny is yours! Can we go now?" 

Annabeth wasn't sure why she wanted the astrolabe. It was obviously broken, and she didn't get the sensethat this was what Hecate meant them to find. Still, she slipped it into her plastic shopping bag. Maybe Leo could help her figure it out if- no, when he got back. 

She turned her attention to the other strange piece of loot – the leather-bound book. Its title was ingold leaf, in a language Annabeth thought she vaguely recognised, but nothing else about the book seemed shiny. She didn't figure the Kerkopes for big readers. "What's this?" she waved it at the dwarfs, who were still teary-eyed from the prospect of losing their shinies.

"Nothing!" Akmon said. "Just a book. It had a pretty gold cover, so we took it from him." 

"Him?" Annabeth demanded, suddenly feeling uneasy. "Who? Who did you steal this from?" Akmon and Passalos exchanged a nervous look. 

"Minor god," Passalos said. "In Venice. Really, it's nothing." 

"Venice.' Jason frowned at Annabeth. "Isn't that where we're supposed to go next?" 

"Yeah." Annabeth examined the book. She may not have been able to completely read it yet, but it had lots of illustrations: scythes,different plants, a picture of the sun, a team of oxen pulling a cart. If the book had been stolen from a minor god in Venice – the next place Hecate had toldthem to visit – then this had to be what they were looking for. 

"Where exactly can we find this minor god?" Annabeth asked. 

"No!" Akmon shrieked. "You can't take it back to him! If he finds out we stole it –" 

"He'll destroy you," Jason guessed. "Which is what we'll do if you don't tell us, and we're a lot closer." He pressed the point of his sword against Akmon's furry throat. 

"Okay, okay!" the dwarf shrieked. "La Casa Nera! Calle Frezzeria! Please don't tell him we stole it! He isn't nice at all!" 

"Who is he?" Annabeth asked. "What god?" 

"I – I can't say," Passalos stammered. 

"You'd better," Jason warned. 

"No," Passalos said miserably. "I mean, I really can't say. I can't pronounce it! Tr – Tri – It's too hard!" 

"Truh," Akmon said. "Tru-toh – Too many syllables!" They both burst into tears. Annabeth didn't know if the Kerkopes were telling them the truth, but it was hard to stay mad at weepingdwarfs, no matter how annoying and badly dressed they were.Jason lowered his sword. "What do you want to do with them, Annie? Send them to Tartarus?" 

"Please, no!" Akmon wailed. "It might take us weeks to come back." 

"Assuming Gaia even lets us!" Passalos sniffled. "She controls the Doors of Death now. She'll bevery cross with us." Annabeth looked at the dwarfs. She'd fought hundreds of monsters before and never felt bad about dissolvingthem, but this was different. She had to admit she sort of felt sorry for them. Besides, Leo was in Tartarus rightnow, hopefully still alive, trudging towards the Doors of Death. The idea of sending these twinmonkey boys there to face the same nightmarish problem ... well, it didn't seem right. She imagined Gaia laughing at her weakness – a demigod too softhearted to kill monsters. 

But Annabeth wasn't just any demigod. Gaia didn't mess with her friends and get away with it. 

"I'll make you another deal," she said. Akmon's eyes lit up.

"Thirty percent?" 

"I'll leave your treasure, minus the stuff that belongs to us and the astrolabe and this book, which we'll take back to the dude in Venice, as we already agreed," Annabeth said. "We'll leave you all your treasure, and we won't tell this god that you stole the book either. And in return, we'll set you free."

"Uh, Annabeth...?" Jason asked nervously. Akmon squealed with delight. 

"But," Annabeth growled. "In return for us sparing your lives, you have to do something forus. I'm going to send you somewhere to steal from some people, harass them, make life hard for themany way you can. You have to follow my directions exactly. You have to swear on the River Styx." 

"We swear!" Passalos said. "Stealing from people is our speciality!" 

"I love harassment!" Akmon agreed. "Where are we going?" Annabeth grinned. 

"Ever heard of New York?"

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will get longer, but might be slow. Thank you for reading!


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